Pirates set out for Tunisia to battle Esperance for semi spot
ORLANDO Pirates will keep up an intense week of preparations ahead of the African Champions League semifinal as coach Roger de Sa looks for a win in Tunisia on Saturday.
Full sessions are planned at their home base today and tomorrow before the team gets on the aircraft to North Africa.
The squad flies via Dubai tomorrow afternoon and are scheduled to get into the Tunisian capital on Thursday afternoon.
“We will look to have another session the same night,” said De Sa.
Pirates are entitled to an opportunity to training at the match venue 24 hours before Saturday’s second leg and will certainly take up that option, added the coach.
The Pirates coach has a specific programme of preparation that the team are following ahead of the Esperance clash as Pirates need an away goal to stand a realistic chance of reaching the final.
The match is set for the Rades Stadium, site of the 2004 African Nations Cup final.
De Sa said he was pleased with Sifiso Myeni’s recovery from injury and that of Thandani Ntshumayelo, both of whom were given a medical all clear at the weekend.
“Myeni had a full session today (Monday) which is a boost for us,” he said yesterday.
The exertions of travel have now become the norm for players, who have had two similarly long trips to Egypt plus a more taxing trip in the Republic of the Congo during the Champions League group phase.
For their most important match of the campaign, it is timely that they are likely to have their most relaxing trip as they fly on an established airline with plenty of on-board entertainment to relax the players.
But De Sa has previously joked about his players’ ability to tuck a pillow under their arm and head off anywhere required, so used are they to a frequent travel schedule.
Pirates will depart Tunis for SA on Sunday, arriving back via Dubai at 4pm on Monday.
That gives them barely enough time to get ready for next Wednesday’s Telkom Knockout quarterfinal clash against Lamontville Golden Arrows at the Orlando Stadium.